The invention relates to a colour proofing apparatus and to a method of colour proofing and flexographic printing.
In the printing industry, it is desired to be able to predict a colour value of a printed product or a certain area of the printed product before a print run is started, so that colour errors may be detected and eliminated, e.g. by adjusting the settings of the printing press, changing the recipe of the inks and/or, in the case of flexographic printing, selecting an engraved roller with a different screen.
It has been known to use a hand-held proofing apparatus having an inking roller for applying an ink film onto a sample of the substrate and then to inspect the colour of the ink film on the substrate.
Other known proofing methods attempt to simulate the entire flexographic print process by using a colour proofing apparatus that is configured as a miniature version of the printing press.